1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cradle apparatus for a camera, and more particularly to a cradle apparatus for a camera suitable for two-way communication with an external device, such as a personal computer (PC).
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, there has been proposed a cradle apparatus for a camera which enables, when a picture taken with a digital camera is to be inputted to a PC, the digital camera mounted with the cradle apparatus to automatically connect the digital camera and the PC via the cradle apparatus and thereby to facilitate two-way communication between the digital camera and the PC for ready inputting of the picture to the PC in Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-8067 corresponding to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/043,231 (which was, at the time the present invention was made, not published, not publically known, and assigned to the same assignee to which the present invention was subject to an obligation of assignment).
This cradle apparatus for a camera has a cradle connector on the bottom face of its camera mount and, when a camera is mounted onto the camera mount, the mounting action is synchronized to connect the cradle connector to a camera connector provided on the bottom face of the camera.
However, a cradle apparatus having a cradle connector on the bottom face of the camera mount as mentioned above may allow the camera to be inserted obliquely into the camera mount, and the resultant prying might damage the connector.
Moreover, when the camera is not mounted in the camera mount, the cradle connector provided on the bottom face of the camera mount, as its terminals are exposed upward, may become dusty, involving the risk of inviting faulty operation of the connector.
Moreover, when the camera mounted in the cradle apparatus is lifted by itself, the connector may be easily disengaged to adversely affect transfers of visual data and the like, and there also is the risk that the cradle apparatus may fall off.